The Country's Most Notorious Road System

Caltrans district 7 includes every freeway in Los Angeles and is perhaps the most notorious road system in the country.

1 minute read

April 11, 2001, 7:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


The optimum speed to move traffic through a network is supposed to occur at 45 miles per hour. In Los Angeles, however, it's 60 miles per hour. This means that the "Highway Capacity Manual--the bible of all California freeway engineers--'is pure formula, wrong, based on no empirical formula.' Or maybe we're just beginning to understand how our freeways work, just starting to take the first steps toward a unified field theory of congestion." Think understanding traffic is simple? This fascinating Los Angeles Magazine article explains the art and science of transportation studies.

Thanks to Chris Steins

Sunday, April 15, 2001 in Los Angeles Magazine

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